Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (September 17, 2026)
YourStory presents the daily news roundup from the Indian startup ecosystem and beyond. Here's the roundup for Thursday, September 17, 2026.
From India’s semiconductor push with Applied Materials and Lam Research to early-stage funding across deeptech and workforce platforms, plus a new partner payout feature from Swiggy, YourStory brings you today’s headlines and the latest news across sectors.
Featured stories
Yaanendriya builds inertial sensors and navigation systems in India
Vamshi & Vyshak founded Yaanendriya, Bengaluru, 2025
Bengaluru-based Yaanendriya designs and manufactures inertial sensors, navigation and control systems for autonomous machines across commercial and defence applications. Incorporated in February 2025, its stack spans motion sensors, vehicle controllers and positioning modules for drones, vehicles and robots.
UPI MDR sparks debate on fintech revenues and valuations
A 0.4% fee on UPI merchant payments above Rs 2,000, capped at Rs 300 for transactions of Rs 75,000 and above, could create a new revenue pool for payments players. Investors are upbeat, though the impact on profitability and customer behaviour remains uncertain.
Latest news
India targets 200 chip-design firms and one lakh workers
Under Semicon 2.0, India will target at least 200 chip-design startups and companies and train one lakh semiconductor technicians, clean-room and factory-floor workers. The programme spans six pillars and has an outlay of Rs 1,27,500 crore, according to the government.
Lam Research to invest Rs 10,000 crore in India
Lam Research plans approximately Rs 10,000 crore of investment to set up its first silicon component manufacturing facility in India, alongside advanced R&D and deeper supplier partnerships. The proposed site will support a vertically integrated silicon manufacturing process.
Applied Materials to invest $5B, build 140-acre research park
Applied Materials will invest $5 billion in India over the next decade, including a 140-acre advanced semiconductor research park, a 10X scale-up of India-based supply-chain capacity by 2035, and a plan to double its R&D workforce in the country.
Funding news
DheyaTech raises Rs 43 Cr led by Avaana Capital
DheyaTech has raised Rs 43 crore in funding led by Avaana Capital, with participation from Unimech Aerospace and Manufacturing Limited. The company said the capital will be used to scale production, build an integrated gas turbine testing facility, and work closely with customers to accelerate deployment timelines.
DheyaTech
Founded in 2018, the Bengaluru-based company develops indigenous micro gas turbine engines for advanced aerial mobility and energy systems, spanning 20 kgf to 400 kgf of thrust.
DheyaTech said its engines are entering commercial deployment, with flight trials targeted for Q4 2026, and that it is pursuing airworthiness certification under CEMILAC-DRDO.
Enlight Metals secures $1.5M from Exar North Group
Enlight Metals Private Limited has raised $1.5 million from Exar North Group Inc. at a $10 million valuation to advance its agentic AI-enabled metal procurement platform. The company said funds will support its technology roadmap, scaling operations and expansion across the metal procurement ecosystem.
The Pune-based firm said its platform has reduced transaction processing time by 75%, inventory costs by 30% and overhead by 60%. It currently operates in Pune, Mumbai and Raipur, and plans to expand into Ahmedabad and Indore. Director Vedant Goel said the partnership will combine capital with technology and operational support.
Factrika raises Rs 8.9 Cr seed led by Info Edge
Factrika has raised Rs 8.9 crore in seed funding led by Info Edge to scale its on-demand industrial workforce platform. The company said it will use the capital to strengthen its team, deepen technology and expand into more industrial clusters.
Founded in 2024 by Kshitij Puri and Gaurav Asthana, Factrika matches manufacturers with verified workers by skill and availability, enabling deployment within two hours. The company said it has over 10,000 registered workers across more than 20 skill categories, a show rate above 90%, and clients including Lenskart, Asahi India Glass and Jubilant Foods.
Ecosys raises Rs 5 Cr pre-Series A led by GVFL
Laundry and home cleaning brand Ecosys has raised Rs 5 crore in a pre-Series A round led by GVFL Prarambh Fund, with participation from Proteus Partners and operator-investors Puru Gupta and Sreejith Moolayil.
The company said funds will support its ecommerce and quick-commerce expansion, category education and new laundry formats.
The Mumbai-based brand focuses on single-dose laundry pods. Co-founders Sumit Goyal and Chirag Dangi are chartered accountants. Ecosys said the latest round takes total funding to Rs 7.94 crore.
Crowwd raises Rs 2.5 Cr in angel round
Crowwd has raised Rs 2.5 crore in an angel round at an approximate valuation of Rs 50 crore from over 30 investors, including Dr Ritesh Malik, Three Words Capital, France-based Hexa Startup Studio and others.
The company said proceeds will fund wealth-tech infrastructure, brokerage acquisition and integration, and scaling mutual fund distribution.
The platform, an AMFI-registered mutual fund distributor, is expanding from an investor community into a personalised investing experience built around its proprietary Investor DNA framework. Crowwd said it will also strengthen technology, compliance and operating capabilities while taking a capital-efficient approach to growth.
Other news
Swiggy introduces on-demand Early Cashout for delivery partners
Swiggy rolled out an Early Cashout feature for Food Marketplace delivery partners across 720-plus cities, enabling payouts on demand via the Swiggy Partner app instead of weekly cycles. The company said payouts will be credited within an hour of a request through a three-step in-app process.
Swiggy said the feature aims to improve liquidity for its network of over 6.5 lakh delivery partners by allowing withdrawals based on available earnings.
“Early Cashout bridges this gap by eliminating the wait,” said Saurav Goyal, Chief Operating Officer, Food Marketplace, Swiggy.
Mirai Aerospace and GreenValley to assemble LiDAR in India
Mirai Aerospace Systems and Software Solutions signed an MoU with US-based GreenValley International to build a LiDAR ecosystem in India covering local assembly, manufacturing, technical support and AI-led applications. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of INTERGEO 2026 in Munich.
Mirai will set up an after-sales service and calibration centre and lead local assembly under Make in India, with localisation to expand as volumes grow. The companies plan joint development of AI-based point-cloud processing and digital-twin applications and will negotiate definitive agreements on investment, technology licensing and manufacturing scope in the coming months.
(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)